James Watt Steam Engine

James Watt and Business

Now that James Watt understud everything about steam engines he deciede to start making full scale models. This required more of a capital investment and a partenership or two. Some of the money needed would come form Black and withe some help form John Roebuck. John Roebuck was the founder of Carron Iron Works near Falkirk. John and James later formed a partenership. The iron workers were very talented but they could use some improvements. Each piston and cylinder would be a little different because the iron workers made them by hamering the metal and that would make uneven spots in the metal. Most of the capital went to the ground breaking patent. They finally got the patent, in that day it was required to have an act of parliment to get one. After they recived the patent all the money was gone so James was forced to take a job as a surveyor for almost a decade. John also went bankrupt.

Matthew Boulton, the owner of Soho foundry works near Birmingham bought his patent rights. James and Matthew became friends and started a very successful partnership, Boulton & Watt. This partnership would last 25 years.

Now Watt had the use of the worlds best iron workers. The next problem was making a cylinder with a tightly fiting piston. this problem was solved by John Wilkinson who came up with a boring design for making canons for the war.

The partnership of Boulton and Watt was carried out by the men's sons.